#plus the way he didn't try to kiss her or anything during their reunion is sus

[iphyslitterator]

I am enamored of @mannafromtevan's Airport 1975 theory, and here's the number one reason why:

TOMMY AND ATHENA TEAM-UP

We have no information on how Athena feels about Tommy, and she's the only main character of whom that can be said. They've never really interacted in canon. Their potential dynamic is severely underexplored in fandom. I've been saying all along that integrating Tommy with the rest of the firefam, especially in ways unrelated to Buck, is necessary if they want him to be endgame and would be one of the surest signs they're considering it - pairing Tommy with Athena for the opening disaster would be huge.

Also, this isn't the only possibility, but I've been toying with the idea that Athena is the only one who actually is skeptical of Tommy. You know how Hen told Chim about Tatiana, "I'm your best friend, I get to hold a grudge about her til I die"? Athena was there for Hen's early days at the 118. Hen must have vented to her about the lack of support (at best) she was getting from her coworkers, including Tommy. And even after Gerrard left and Hen and Tommy became work friends, I can see Athena being the type to carry that grudge on Hen's behalf. I don't think she'd be actively trying to break up Buck and Tommy or anything, but she could be side-eyeing the guy, and since Bobby's totally on board with Tommy, she could see it as her job to remain suspicious - Bobby, after all, didn't know Tommy in the Gerrard days. If the show wanted to go this route, they could have Athena and Bobby touch on it briefly toward the beginning of 8x01.

Whether Athena has reservations about Tommy or just doesn't know him very well, crashing a plane together would be a chance for her to see that he's competent, tough, and loyal - as well as a bit unhinged, and with a caustic sense of humor that honestly kind of matches hers. And if they get the 118 on the line and she gets to witness the first I Love You?? *chef's kiss*

On the flip side, Tommy gets to like and respect Athena for all the same reasons. Plus if Athena has to make some sort of ethical decision about the "person from her past," I would loooove to see her talk to Tommy about it. I'm not saying Tommy should be central to the problem or solution - I'm picturing them sitting in the cockpit during a lull in the action, Athena taking the opportunity to discuss the issue with a neutral third party, maybe with Tommy offering a nugget of wisdom, in a scene that tells us something about both characters.

And IMAGINE the REUNIONS - think about it, Buck and Tommy's first Moment came when they watched Bathena reunite at the end of 7x03, so imagine a parallel at the end of 8x03!!! Tommy and Athena emerging from the plane, Bathena gaze at each other, time slows, maybe Over the Rainbow is playing idk, they run into each other's arms, AND THEN we cut to Bucktommy, but THIS time they're ALSO embracing and delivering their most scorching kiss since the hospital, ohhhh my god I'm chewing glass!!!!!

And then as enumerated by @a-mel0n, rappelling out of a helicopter into a jet was the hottest thing Buck's ever seen and he has to fuck him about it immediately amen.

[descendantofthesparrow]

Hi I'm sorry hope I'm not bothering but what are those Aus u were talking about they seem really interesting hope I'm not bothering u can ignore ofc

OH YOU AINT BOTHERING ME AT ALL, i did ask in the tags for someone to come ask me cuz i need to talk about it BUT HERE WE GO

so! the poyw invitation au! now you may think its an "oh a (y/n) from our world goes to that universe and ends up in the storyline somehow~" NOPE ahahaha!!!!!! its a full descendants poyw au! either taking from the og storyline or the rewrite AU, (y/n)/rose gets sent home one day(after she married Harry). Either, her key stops working, or shes now home again with no way back to the descendants world, right back where she started(though she does keep the items shes gained, like her rings, necklace, n maybe a sword idk). Still, around-lets say....idk at most 10 years later, after doing a DNA thing for funsies, she finds she suddenly has a family from England, and her newly discovered cousin Oliver has reached out~!! like Evie, she goes to meet him and he talks about the Devilles and that big ol wedding, (y/n)/rose mentions knowing a Deville once but his name was spelled Devil but pronounced De'vil (ahaha yes funny funny). Oliver is just like...okay cool(and slightly sus he don't know why tho) and invites her to the wedding for an Alexander family reunion

(y/n)/rose agrees, cuz something tugs at her ear to tell her to go(sounding a lot like that one goddess who pulled way too many strings to make Harry/rose possible) and eventually ends up at the new carfax abbey, soon seeing *drumroll* Walter~ who looks exactly like her fucking boy Harry Hook, and boy does he look-actually surprised to see her.

some high-jinks ensue with (y/n)/rose snooping around trying to figure out why this dude looks exactly like Harry/Thomas Doherty and ends up finding a hall that has Walter's family portraits on them. two of them include two very familiar faces, Cj and Harriet hook.

(y/n)/rose figures shit out quickly and makes a quick comment on one of their old friends during the cocktail party thing and Walter corrects her about something (pulling a lil abu trick like Jasmin did) and winces as (y/n)/rose gasps about catching him right in a lie! cuz holy shit Walter's Harry fucking Hook!!!!

after a long explanation,(with crying from Harry cuz he's dramatic/extra) its revealed Harry got sent to (y/n)/rose's world with her, but ended up way back in time due to a mix up, thanks to a technicality due to when Harry should've actually been born if the whole neverland/Auradon necromancy thing didn't happen, so he's way back in time before anything Disney has even been imagined, and makes a deal with some witches for immortality, becoming a vamp.

Harry now thinks (y/n)/rose will be scared of him, he's a monster now, one without a soul, but (y/n)/rose is that bitch and has killed for Harry too many times to count now and is just "dude, i killed ur dad for you, and his entire crew-plus some random ass fucks who threatened you. you really think some blood drinking gonna scare me off?" Harry just laughs as (y/n)/rose takes his face and kisses him stupid, the two soul mates finally reunited after so long.

anyways, at this point-it separates from canon and just has the two having a time as if they were never apart-Walter/Harry tells the families/the brides some of the truth and that (y/n)/rose happily accepted his proposal(even tho the two were already married n (y/n)/rose still wears her rings) Viktoria is...Viktoria, Lucy is Lucy, and (y/n)/rose is still that bitch; her and Harry soon starting to try to figure out how to get back to their world, getting even closer than before in the process(if that was even possible)

dead ass-this last bit is-fully stolen/borrowed from @sessediz's version of the invitation, but after (y/n)/rose n Harry/Walter take their vows(again) and (y/n)/rose takes his blood, Viktoria attempts a coup but uh-girly wasn't expecting the fucking balls (y/n)/rose has(being one to even make Gaston shake in the knees at the sight of her, girlies fucking THAT BITCH) and (y/n)/rose, either with her new vamp stretch or her skills(rewrite /rose is immune to magic, which in turn would make her immune to the blood pact thing so-she stays human but completes her end of the deal) takes Viktoria down with-too much ease(i think i made (y/n)/rose a bit of a mary sue but i do what it want plus, for real, Viktoria prob doesn't know how to actually fight, if it came down to skill, Viktoria would be a goner-did you see how her and lucy fought? those two have never actually fought someone in their life)

after being asked why Viktoria attempted such a coup like this, she tried to justify herself with how (y/n)/rose made Walter soft, how weak he's become over the years. Harry just laughs, his eyes gleaming red with the remaining madness curse that never truly left. "I'm a villain kid darlin'" his accent comes back out at this point, dark and rough like the child of hook he really is "this is all jus' childs play, got boring after a while-ye know?"

anyways-of course Viktoria is taken out due to her treacherous act, and while (y/n)/rose n Harry still figure out how the fuck to get home, they take care of business (like firing the racist ass butler and taking up different prey than the servant class cuz like the fuck?) and (y/n)/rose is implemented into the house, either as a vampire or a human that was unaffected by the pact(magic immunity has its perks) so-how this would end, would either be them going home, or them staying in (y/n)/rose's world as the Deville's

also-yes (y/n)/rose bullies Harry over his new last name SO FUCKING MUCH

"YOU STOLE CARLOS LAST NAEM YOU DOLT"

"NO I FUCKING DIDN' IT WAS JUST A COINCIDENCE"

"YEAH FUCKING RIGHT"

anyways there would be so much more to this au than i said here and if i did ever write it-it would be a lot better than what i explained and make more sense but-ye

OH and totally the reason why (y/n)/rose is suddenly an Alexander is so because of Persephone pulling strings, she just cannot let her otp be separated for longer 

[madwheelerz]

My hottest take is both Mike and El wanted to break up with each other during their Surfer Boy Pizza talk

[flaringgoosebumps]

This could all be a reach but this felt like it resignated with him the way I thought it did.

Given the context we are shown, Mike is being emotionally and physically distant with both El and Will at the front of s4.

With Will, it's obvious. He gives Will a half ass hug and briefly acknowledges the painting that he has been lead to believe is for someone else, maybe for a girl. Then, until it's later revealed he's actually been hyperfocused on Will the whole time, he doesn't seem to acknowledge Will (aside from sneaky glances, almost falling into Will's lap after he gets vomit green socks)

With El, it's less obvious. He greets her with a hug and a kiss on the lips but the flowers are physically in between them and he quickly acknowledges she's squishing her present. This is a strangely anticlimactic airport reunion scene, especially for a pair who hasn't seen one another in almost 200 days. Especially for a couple that was so physically affectionate at the front of the last season.

"From Mike" gives me the ick. This feels very much like he is doing things more from obligation rather than devotion. They've cannonically been together for over a year or even longer, why is he treating his gifts for her like they're an obligatory school Valentine so someone doesn't get left out? Yikes.

When Will confronts him about El's book of letters from him he gets defensive, "she's my girlfriend, Will" that means that he believes letters have romantic implications but him not being able to say 'Love, Mike' in literally any of them is a decision he consciously made repeatedly. No show of affection via the letters, not even casually.

hE's aFrAiD oF LoSiNg HeR. He literally lost her. It was explained to him that his family, his friends, and his entire hometown was in danger and El was going to get her powers back. Specifically doing that while in the hands of people they spend years trying to hide her from. And he throws what might be the last thing he ever sees from her, in the trash. So in my personal opinion, being afraid of losing her is a lie.

"If I would've said that thing, maybe she would've taken me with her" he can't even say it behind her back. This statement also implies that it feels like an obligation, not a desire. Everything he says behind her back to Will feels like this.

The Superman/Lois Lane analogy is actually the first time his angst about El feels genuine. "What if after all of this is over, she doesn't need me anymore." But it's less about romantic implications and more about how Mike seems to think he's only worth something if he's useful to someone. Plus, she did need him at the roller rink, after the skate attack, during their argument and he gave her nothing. He didn't comfort her or try to understand her side of anything. He said things that he felt should comfort her and starts to deflect responsibility when she confronts him about the letters.

My perspective feels confirmed when he confesses his love to El at the pizza shop. He had literal days to weigh his relationship with her, figure out the right things to say, decipher how he felt in order to create the perfect speech to win her back and what he gave her was just reiterating what Will implied she wanted to hear in the van which completely contradicts the argument that M!leven had in the first place.

His love confession contained so many lies. Lies that El, and not Will. Knows all about.

"I'm sorry I don't say it more" He said it once and not directly to her, in a room full of their friends and only said that because they weren't listening to him about her over using her abilities because the people arguing with him didn't literally see her "die" like he and Lucas did.

"It's not because I'm afraid of you, I've never felt that way. Never." There are multiple instances where he has been afraid of her, one of which was the front of this season and she called him out for it. "You think I'm a monster too"

"I feel like my life started that day we found you in the woods; I knew right then and there that I loved you and I've loved you everyday since" you mean where you, Dustin, and Lucas loudly talked about sending her back to pennhurst the following day and then, when you found out she could help you with finding Will and treated her like garbage up until she literally saved your life?

"I love you on your good days, I love you on your bad days" except he didn't take her side or try to comfort her about Angela until the next day even guilt tripping her at the dinner table. "She didn't look fine" and doesn't do a thing to make her feel better.

"I love you with your powers, I love you without your powers." Not once in this entire season did he talk about who she was without her powers. Every discussion tp or about El has included her powers and how both of their worths are tied to them. Every. Single. Discussion.

"I love you for exactly who you are" she's been lying to him about who she is without her powers for the entirety of her letters.

"You can do anything, you can fly, you can move mountains." He has never seen her do either of these things, this is just him talking out of his ass in attempts to reach her. This just comes off as some weird motivational speech on par with Jason's bullshit speeches that don't actually mean anything. That part specifically parallels Papa. But regardless, if he had paid as much attention to El's emotional responses at the start of the season as he did with his fight with Will at the Roller rink, he would've understood that she doesn't like her worth consistantly being tied to her powers.

With Will, the day after their confrontation at rink o mania, Mike knew exactly what to say and how to say it to make up with Will. Even though they had a long period of time without speaking.

I know I've said a lot of this before but I have a theory that Mike feels obligated to El instead of being in love with her. He might love her but it feels as if he's more in love with the idea of her. The idea he's built of her, and not who she is and because of everything she's done for him.

I don't think Will is the only one making vieled confessions.

"If I would've just said that thing"

He thinks their problems begin and end with how he didn't say he loved her but he doesn't even seem mad at himself for not saying he loves her. He doesn't acknowledge that he accidently made her feel bad about herself by being unsympathetic about Angela. He doesn't acknowledge that she feels different and it makes her feel like she doesn't belong. He does however, acknowledge that her being different makes him feel worthless. It's no one's fault but concerning.

It's just strange for people to accept that he loves her because he says it but it sincerely doesn't feel like it.

Especially, when you start comparing all of this with how he's treated Will throughout the entirety of the series. Mike Wheeler is far from perfect, has made many mistakes for sure and is capable of making more. But, it truly feels like he knows that he doesn't love El the way she wants. The way people think he does. And small moments like the gif above make me feel validated in this theory.

[secretlanguageicanspeak]

I HAVE A FOLKLORE THEORY

what if the actual fantasy element of folklore is specifically the events that occur in at the end of betty?? as in, james was with someone else that summer despite loving betty, but instead of going back to betty and showing up to her party, james chose the more mature option of not going back to betty because they both knew how it would end, they’ve seen this movie before... cardigan/betty/august are fictional because they exist in an imagined reality, different from the other songs on the album. 

disclaimer: (i believe james represents taylor and her role in this story, but it is up to speculation so i’ll just stick with speaking about james as the character in folklore,, james’s gender doesn’t really matter to me since it is a character, but i’ll use he/him pronouns for the sake of this post)

the 1 (betty’s pov):

“I guess you never know, never know”

...[what would have happened if you came back]

“And if you wanted me, you really should've showed”

see betty: “So I showed up at your party...” -- james didn’t end up showing, this did not happen

“And if you never bleed, you're never gonna grow”

see cardigan: “You drew stars around my scars / But now I'm bleedin'” and “I knew you / Tried to change the ending / Peter losing Wendy” -- in the alternate reality, betty was the only one bleeding, so she grew because of it, and that’s why she is Wendy. james never bled, so james was Peter who never grew up. 

see peace: “Our coming-of-age has come and gone” -- this line suggests that they BOTH in fact grew up (OUR coming-of-age), so neither of them could be Peter. -- “Suddenly this summer, it's clear / I never had the courage of my convictions / As long as danger is near” -- the summer is the same season as the love triangle setting, another sign it’s the same people. these lines depict james essentially backing down from something he really wanted to do out of fear. this seems to be a reference the decision NOT to go to betty’s party last minute, even after planning for months. 

“And it's alright now”

this is simply acceptance of the situation, they have separated for good.

betty (lead up to the party):

...About why you switched your homeroom... Betty, one time I was riding on my skateboard...  You heard the rumors from Inez... The worst thing that I ever did / Was what I did to you 

pay attention here to the tense usage in verse 1 and the pre-chorus. clearly all the statements in these stanzas are in the past and happen during the summer james was with someone else or between then and now.

But if I just showed up at your party Would you have me? Would you want me? Would you tell me to go fuck myself Or lead me to the garden? In the garden, would you trust me If I told you it was just a summer thing? I'm only seventeen, I don't know anything But I know I miss you

in looking at the lyrics of the chorus, it is clear here that we’re still in the ‘lead up’ phase. james is DAYDREAMING the possibilities of what could happen *IF* he just showed up at betty’s party. 

Betty, I know where it all went wrong Your favorite song was playing From the far side of the gym I was nowhere to be found I hate the crowds, you know that Plus, I saw you dance with him

in verse 2, james is recounting another event which he claims to have led to him doing “the worst thing that [james] ever did,” betraying betty. it is clearly serving as a background story that occurred a long time ago. the “dance” with “him” is very likely the same story as in the first lines of exile, “I can see you standing, honey / With his arms around your body”

I was walking home on broken cobblestones Just thinking of you when she pulled up like A figment of my worst intentions She said "James, get in, let's drive" Those days turned into nights Slept next to her, but I dreamt of you all summer long

the bridge is simply a continuation of the story begun in verse 2. james left the dance after seeing betty with “him.” on his way home, he runs into “her” who i’ll call august, and then their summer affair begins. again, this is long in the past now.

betty (verse 3): 

Betty, I'm here on your doorstep

this line appears to be referencing the same moment as this is me trying: “And maybe I don't quite know what to say / But I'm here in your doorway” however, in this is me trying, which is the main/real plot line, james just says, “I just wanted you to know that this is me trying.” with other clues from that song, this statement means james is trying his best to move on and mature in life, catch up with his classmates after the huge setback of losing betty.

i believe james is trying, although struggling, to accept the end of this relationship forever because of his actions. the line “I didn't know if you'd care if I came back / I have a lot of regrets about that” suggests the ‘regrets’ are because james chose to not come back because he assumed, possibly wrongfully, that she didn’t want him to. (i discuss the bridge of this is me trying after finishing verse 3 interpretation)

And I planned it out for weeks now But it's finally sinkin' in Betty, right now is the last time I can dream about what happens when You see my face again

these lines, in my opinion, best showcased the idea in peace’s first verse as discussed earlier: “Suddenly this summer, it's clear / I never had the courage of my convictions / As long as danger is near.” the fact this feeling of anticipation and nervousness ahead of the reunion with betty required an entire verse to communicate shows exactly how intense the feelings are. 

The feelings may be internal or external pressures (societal standards and injustices, being in the public eye, and more) which create anxiety in a person. in the rest of the first verse of peace, she reveals the danger is “just around the corner, darlin' / 'Cause it lives in me,” supporting the idea that these fears and anxieties are a part of taylor’s/james’s psyche regardless of the cause of them. the second verse of this is me trying begins with “They told me all of my cages were mental / So I got wasted like all my potential,” which is also consistent with the idea that anxieties are the root of big mistakes.

this is me trying (bridge):

And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound

aversion to parties/crowds is similar to verse 2 in betty, another indication it is the same people/events. feeling like an open wound is a callback to the 1, “And if you never bleed, you're never gonna grow” and betty saying she’s “bleeding” in cardigan, “You drew stars around my scars / But now I'm bleedin'.”

this connection is very important because it proved, as i noted from peace, that BOTH betty and james ended up bleeding, contrary to the accounts in cardigan. BOTH of them were forced by circumstances to accept their permanent separation. therefore, the events in betty didn’t go as they seemed. 

It's hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you You're a flashback in a film reel on the one screen in my town

james is missing betty intensely, just like in betty. the movie comparison brings in several songs to the same general story (in tracklist order): 

the 1: “I hit the Sunday matinée / You know the greatest films of all time were never made” -- during a daytime film viewing, betty remarks that no films she could watch would ever be the GREATEST. as a parallel to a later lyric, “We never painted by the numbers, baby / But we were making it count / You know the greatest loves of all time are over now,” we know betty thinks of this love story as the greatest of all time, even though it’s over.

cardigan: “I knew you / Tried to change the ending / Peter losing Wendy” i already discussed these lines above, but again the idea that james was unsuccessful in the attempt get back together with betty. james had to become Wendy too, and grow up and move on.

exile: “I think I've seen this film before / And I didn't like the ending” the constant comparison of this relationship to tragic films feeds the idea that the relationship was doomed from the start. in cardigan, james tries to change the ending in the hope that love will prevail over all. but in the more grounded reality of folklore such as exile, the pair are hyperaware of how that ending will inevitably happen too them too. “I think I've seen this film before / So I'm leaving out the side door,” so it was time to end it.

hoax: “You knew the hero died so what's the movie for?” here, it is almost a regret about beginning the relationship at all. it was obvious what the ending would be, they’ve seen this film before...but that doesn’t stop them from pursuing it anyways and trying to change the ending for themselves. with a different ending, it would be the greatest film of all time. this is why “Don't want no other shade of blue but you / No other sadness in the world would do” -- this love, although it is a tragedy, is the greatest. and nothing else is good enough.

betty (final): 

The only thing I wanna do Is make it up to you So I showed up at your party Yeah, I showed up at your party

the final pre-chorus reads like the beginning of a Disney movie or a folk tale even, almost as a “Once upon a time, there was a boy named James with one goal and it was to make up for his mistakes....” there should be an ellipsis (“...”) after the second line, creating a divide as the music begins to change and the story moves from reality to fantasy. the key change in the music confirms the transition to an imagined world where fears and anxieties and pressures didn’t get in the way of the greatest love of all time.

Yeah, I showed up at your party Will you have me? Will you love me? Will you kiss me on the porch In front of all your stupid friends? If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it? Will it patch your broken wings? I'm only seventeen, I don't know anything But I know I miss you

typically, if a story is leading up to a character finally making a move, there is a payoff for the audience, revealing what ended up happening. in this case, it is still questions. it is still james brainstorming possibilities, still using the word “if.” the chorus concludes with the same “i know i miss you,” which doesn’t suggest any real progress from the beginning because there has to be distance still if james is still missing betty. however, the “would”s changed to “will”s, leading the listener to think james actually did manage to show up, maybe the fantasy is even fooling james himself.

Standing in your cardigan Kissin' in my car again

these lines in the outro of betty have a double meaning: james is either in a haze from happiness because of the reunion with betty or is dreaming about these things happening.

in cardigan, she sings: “To kiss in cars and downtown bars / Was all we needed” THESE LINES ALSO HAVE A DOUBLE MEANING: “all we needed” can both signal relief from the tension, as in, kissing again solved all their problems from before, OR it means “that was all we needed to fix us,” as in, we couldn’t or didn’t kiss in these places, so we’re exactly where we started: a romantic tragedy. this means the downtown bar is likely the party or a symbolic equivalent.

The first meaning of both of those lines was the one that occurred within the fictional/fantasy world. The second meaning, is the reality of what happened because JAMES ENDED UP NOT SHOWING UP TO THE PARTY.

Stopped at a streetlight You know I miss you

the “streetlight” seems to be significant imagery here. in cardigan, “But I knew you / Dancin' in your Levi's / Drunk* under a streetlight” -- this might be a spot of a fond memory that is triggered for james while he is driving by it, reminiscing on that time. 

also not on folklore, but in cornelia street, “We were in the backseat / Drunk* on something stronger than the drinks in the bar / The streetlights pointed in an arrowhead / Leading us home.” this cornelia street line seems to be describing a very similar story as cardigan. if so, this supports the idea that james was driving by this streetlight, the location of a very happy memory, and it makes him remember how much he misses her.

the repetition of “i miss you” here makes it clear james never was successful in getting back this love with betty. and betty knows he misses her: “I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired”

I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired And you'd be standin' in my front porch light And I knew you'd come back to me You'd come back to me And you'd come back to me And you'd come back

the fade out in this last chorus also seems to have implies ellipses after each “you’d come back” line because just like the final pre-chorus of betty, there is a hopeful fantasy here. almost like “you’d come back ... you’d come back to me... right?” but as we know from this is me trying, the only communication was that james is trying his best to move on and to be more mature. betty knows it is for the best. 

IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR, YOU’RE A TROOPER OMG THIS WAS MUCH LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED I’M SO SORRY. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED. IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS, PLEASE SHARE THEM ILYYY. @taylorswift @taylornation

[the-trashy-phoenix]

Supernatural season 4 review (part 2)

Link to part 1:

Irene and I have finished season 4, finally, and I was surprised I still liked it like the first time I've watched it. I couldn't wait to get there (who knows why?) and I was actually afraid I wouldn't get as excited as I thought I would; but fortunately it still gives me the idea that it is one of the best Supernatural seasons.

It all starts with Dean coming back from hell and being clueless about how he did it. He soon finds out the Angel Of The Lord Castiel held him tight and raised him from perdition and that he has a fundamental role in the intent to stop Lilith's plans to free Lucifer from his cage and unleash the Apocalypse.

Will this review (and probably the next 11 ones) most likely be a little bit biased for Destiel? Definitely. Will I try to stay as objective as I can? Yes, but this doesn't mean I'll be very objective, after all I'm writing this review knowing what is going to happen in the next seasons (and, more precisely, in the scene, you know which one I'm talking about).

I honestly don't even know where to start, so I'm going to comment on what I think is important as the season goes on.

I believe 04x01 is one of the best episodes of this season (and maybe even one of my favourite episodes ever) for several reasons. We have Dean coming back from hell and meeting again with Bobby and Sam (and both of these moments are very touching, especially Sam's one). Although the reunion might be heartwarming, Sam is already keeping secrets from Dean: he is collaborating with Ruby to defeat Lilith (and in the meantime he's using his powers, which are stronger than ever, cause he's drinking demon blood to increase them). He lies to Dean, telling him he stopped trying to use his abilities against the enemy, and that causes the biggest drama between the two brothers this season (that will continue on the next one). Dean (and the others) wants to find out who's trying to contact him and who brought him back from hell: I love the way Castiel is slowly introduced during this episode. At first with the ultrasounds and the handprint (which is definitely a fantastic touch, that kinda shows a little possessive side if you think about it, and it is inevitably funny if you know everything that happens later on), then through Pamela, showing already all his power, and at the end of the episode there's a "dramatic" moment where Dean (and Bobby) finally meets Castiel (in his vessel) for the first time, and this might be one of the most epic and iconic scenes in Supernatural. The dynamic between these two is fantastic from the beginning (am I saying this because I'm totally biased?) and the line "What's the matter? You don't think you deserve to be saved?" shows how Castiel has already understood Dean Winchester from just a look (and he's an angel who's not supposed to feel or understand feelings! Wow, the power of Destiel).

Moving on from this episode, in the second one we find out from Castiel that Lilith wants to break the 66 seals, foretelling the Apocalypse, in order to free Lucifer. On a side note, I like how bitchy Castiel is towards Dean at the beginning of their relationship ("Read the Bible. Angels are warriors of God. I'm a soldier", "You should show me some respect, I dragged you out of hell, I can throw you back in").

I love episode 04x03 because I usually adore time travel (it often leads to some funny and very unusual situations) and I find this one extremely sad and touching, mostly because Dean has the opportunity to meet his parents when they are still young (and Mary and John's sides he didn't know about) and finds out how their family became cursed (and the worst thing is he can't change its destiny).

In episode 04x04 Dean finds out Sam has been working with Ruby this whole time and gets mad about it, which is pretty reasonable. As much as a part of me hates when Sam and Dean fight, another part of me loves it, especially in this season, and it's probably because I think both of them are right and wrong at the same time. Ruby seems reliable (for now much more than the angels) and Sam truly did some good with her, so it is logical for Sam to trust her, since she apparently hasn't done anything against him and she has also saved him (which Sam confesses to Dean on episode 04x09). On the other hand I understand why Dean wouldn't want his brother to continue his process of strengthening his powers: he's afraid Sam won't be the same. Plus his brother lied to him, so it becomes hard for Dean to trust him, and this episode marks a pretty sad change in their relationship that will only get worse later in the season.

I should also mention 04x07 in which two witches want to bring Samhain, a celtic god, back from the dead. By doing that another of the 66 seals would be broken so Dean and Sam, who were working on the case, are told by Castiel and Uriel (another angel) that Uriel has to destroy the city, since the two brothers can't stop the witches from bringing Samhain back. Dean wants to prevent Uriel from doing a massacre and convince Castiel to wait for a few hours and let them take care of the witches. They can't stop them and Sam confronts Samhain using his powers, although he promised Dean he wouldn't use them anymore. At the end of the episode Castiel confesses to Dean that his orders were to follow Dean's instructions and admits he has doubts towards God. I consider this conversation very important, since this is the first time Castiel lets Dean have a look at his inner thoughts, even if Castiel himself is afraid of them, which gets me thinking that he already trusts Dean.

I also wanted to point out that Dean starts calling Castiel "Cas" pretty soon, even if he doesn’t want to trust him yet (although I believe he already does unconsciously). And what's even funnier is that, by calling him "Cas", he removes from his name the part that means "of God", which kinda gives you already an idea of what it's going to happen to him.

In episode 04x09 we meet Anna, a fallen angel, who doesn't even remember she has ever been one, since now she's human and has lived a human life for years. Dean and Sam meet her because she seems to be capable of getting in contact with the angels and is suddenly wanted from both angels (who want her death because she rebelled from heaven) and demons (one of them is Alastair, who knows Dean from hell). Anna and Dean form a sort of bond and she tells him she fell from heaven because she fell in love with humanity (they also have sex in the Impala, but that's way less relevant, although I want to point out that she covers Castiel's mark on Dean's shoulder with her hand, which is a bit disturbing). They can't stop the angels from coming for her so when they arrive we see a beautiful totally not programmed and still hilarious scene of Dean and Anna kissing and Castiel looking at first intensively at them and then shamefully at the ground. I mean, what was that? I understand that Anna and Castiel are sort of parallels, because they are both two angels falling from humanity (they also talk about feelings and Castiel confesses he has already started having emotions), but isn't it the whole point of Destiel? An angel that falls in love with humanity because of one man (Dean, if that wasn't already obvious)? And we get this concept involuntarily since season four? That's… funny. Apart from all of that, Anna manages to get her grace back and hides from Castiel and Uriel.

Another important element in this episode, and in the whole season, is Dean's experience in hell, in which time works differently (four months equivalent to forty years). He finally tells Sam what it has been like and totally breaks down as he says he has spent thirty years being tortured and, since he couldn't resist anymore, the ten left torturing other souls. He also adds in the next episode, with shame, that in torturing souls he felt pleasure, because all the pain felt as a victim disappeared: this is what devastated him the most. I feel like Dean's time in hell inevitably shaped his personality a lot in this season, but it's a thing that changes him forever. He is more mature and somehow self-aware (and I love this aspect), but he's also way more desperate and hopeless (a trade I think characterises Dean way more than Sam in every season, but that's definitely more persistent in this one than it's ever been). I might be a bit sadistic, but I don't mind the bad parts Dean has kept from hell either: they show us a vulnerable side that Dean has always tried to hide. There's also the evident contraposition between Sam's physical power and apparent strong state of mind and Dean's unstable, weak and soft one (also relative to what Dean's big role is in this season and what Sam is actually capable of doing to prevent the apocalypse).

I'd talk about episode 04x14 just to mention the fact that the siren (who's supposed to turn into the person who should most sexually attract his victim) decides to show himself to Dean as a man. I get he was supposed to replace Sam's role as a brother, but the whole setting, the fact that sirens' attractiveness is usually sexual and the fact that even the actor who played the siren admitted the whole scene was a bit sensual should tell us something (it also seems funny that they had to precise multiple times he was trying to be his brother because otherwise that would have seemed too gay, it still seems gay, but whatever).

In episode 04x16 someone is killing the angels and Castiel asks Dean for help to find out who the killer is. The angels have the demon Alastair captured and Castiel tells Dean he's the only one who can torture him. The angel seems to be really upset about it, because he knows how this could hurt Dean, since this is what he has been doing for the past ten years in hell. Dean decides to do it anyway and he finds out from Alastair, during the torture, that he is the one who has broken the first seal (by deciding to torture souls) and made the first step to bring Lucifer back. This obviously breaks Dean even more, since he already hates what he has done in hell, and makes him believe he's not capable of doing what the angels want from him (and he admits it to Castiel, and in the next episode his superior Zacharia tries to convince Dean he's the right man by showing him that even in other realities he would end up killing monsters). We later find out that the one who killed the angels was Uriel that, hating humans, was on Lucifer's side. He asks Castiel to join him but he refuses and Anna, saving Castiel from a fight with Uriel, kills him. I don't have much thoughts on Uriel, I didn't like him even when he was supposedly on the good side. The only thing I like about him is that he had already acknowledged the fact that Castiel likes Dean (who would've thought?).

I have to mention episode 04x18 as I think is one of my favourites of the season and that starts a series of other fantastic episodes (and basically another reality). Sam and Dean find out their life has been written (and published) by Chuck, who's apparently a prophet of God (and turns out to be quite useful later on). This is one of my favourite things Supernatural likes to do: metanarrative. In my opinion it really brings out something new and extremely funny (especially since I know this won't be the last time the two brothers will have to deal with Supernatural).

Another important episode is 04x19, where Sam and Dean find out they have a stepbrother, Adam, who doesn't know about their dad's secret life of hunting. It's obvious the most hurt by the situation is Dean, who would have never thought John could lie about something like that and who's somehow jealous of Adam, since he had the opportunity to live a normal life that could have been possible for him and Sam as well. The one thing that surprised me was that he didn't want him to learn how to hunt (unlike Sam, who thought it could be a good idea for Adam to know how to protect himself). I think Dean shows how he has changed throughout the years and now believes that, since the kid had the opportunity to live a normal life, he doesn't want him to experience what they have. He's more mature and he has become way better than his father and it's funny how now Sam is the one who thinks more like John (although I think there is still a relevant difference between the two of them, fortunately). We eventually find out that it wasn't Adam, but the monster they were fighting, and that Adam is already dead: at first I was a little bit surprised because I remembered that Adam would be in the next season, but it's Supernatural, so I should be used to it by now.

The next episode is important especially for showing us sides of Castiel's life that were not entirely clear before: in this case we find out how the angel reached out his vessel, Jimmy Novak. As much as I can see why Castiel had to occupy Jimmy's body, it's totally understandable that the man wants to go back to his life and that he doesn't want anything more to do with Castiel and everything about him. I also understand that he doesn't want to be with the Winchesters, although objectively they are right to want to keep him away from his family. In general the situation is definitely complicated and, from Jimmy's point of view, quite tragic. We can also tell Castiel, as much as he is already more empathic than the other angels, is not human and can't quite think like one, even if he has Dean who shows him his perspective. Knowing everything that happens to him later on makes me understand how much he has changed throughout the seasons (and knowing who has made that change possible warms my heart). It was quite strange to see Castiel acting like this since at this point I'm used to the Castiel in the latest seasons, but overall I like him a lot in the earlier ones as well.

At this point of the season, drinking demon blood for Sam has become like a drug and Dean can't continue to let his brother ruin himself like that, so with Bobby he decides to lock him in Bobby's panic room. I understand Dean is scared of what Sam could become and is becoming, but at this point Sam is at a level so high that he can't make it without demon blood, and staying for a long time without it could really hurt him further. It also seems that Sam is the only solution to kill Lilith and end the arrival of the Apocalypse. Of course Dean continues to argue that it's best to exclude Sam from this matter given his status, but Sam runs away and tracks down Ruby, with whom he's been working all season trying to be as discreet as possible so as not to worry Dean.

Sam's series of lies, the concern that he might become a monster, and the close collaboration with Ruby increase Dean's anger and disappointment with his brother throughout the season. He no longer trusts him and this deeply saddens both Sam and Dean himself, because he realizes that something has broken between them by now. As much as Sam may have his good reasons for wanting to work with Ruby (and he has), I think he's handled this situation in the worst possible way and that Dean is right about not trusting him anymore (or maybe I'm just a little conditioned by my love for Dean).

I think another reason that has increased the anger towards Sam is the fact that he has repeatedly admitted that he has been decidedly stronger than Dean since he was in hell. It's probably something they both agree on, but Dean is used to considering himself weak and not strong enough to sustain a certain situation. The thing that saddens Dean the most is the fact that his brother thinks so too.

However, this conflict ends with a fight between the two after Dean is able to find his brother. As much as I'm on Dean's side, I hated it when he called Sam a monster, because he knows that's the biggest fear that haunts his brother and calling it like that must have really destroyed him. After the fight everyone goes for his path: Sam with Ruby and Dean, finally convinced by Castiel, with the angels.

Shortly after, however, he discovers that his real role is not to stop the Apocalypse but to stop Lucifer, because he will be Micheal's vessel, and that when Lilith is killed the last seal will be broken, giving way to the Apocalypse. Dean disagrees with the angels and tries to convince Castiel to side with him and abandon the angels to try to stop the Apocalypse.

The twist itself is well constructed, although in my opinion, to make it even better, they could have shown angels as decidedly more reliable creatures, and then break all our trust (and with it also Dean's hopes). During the end of the season, apart from Castiel, the most reliable one seems to be Ruby. And that's why I think this is a much better twist: Sam completely relied on the demon, who always proved to be there for him, and to kill Lilith seems like the most logical move to make to prevent Lucifer from resurrecting. Even when I knew Ruby was cheating Sam the dynamic seemed so unexpected to me that I didn't even remember how she would do it. On top of that Sam's willingness to kill Lilith (mostly for revenge) and to stop the rise of Lucifer is actually what permits Lucifer to rise. So I can only imagine how guilty Sam felt after he realized what he had done (and the worst but best thing at the same time is that it's not even his fault, not entirely at least). Eventually the two brothers open and close the circle of the Apocalypse's arrival, which adds a touch of perfection to the whole situation.

Dean, after convincing Castiel to side with him, goes to Chuck to find where Lilith, Ruby and Sam are. Castiel transports Dean to Sam and tries to stop the angels who want the Apocalypse to begin, losing his life. This is another great step Castiel takes for Dean against his own brothers, proving that he now considers himself at Dean's side more than any other person's side. Dean arrives too late to stop Sam, who has already killed Lilith, and the fourth season ends with a confused and desperate Sam, an angry and desperate Dean, and Lucifer returning.

In the end I believe that this is the best season of Supernatural so far for several reasons: the arrival of Castiel who adds new aspects both to the Supernatural universe (talking about angels) and to the character of Dean (and later also to that of Sam), the continuous struggle between the two brothers, Ruby's character (which I think has been made quite effectively and which has also improved this season, as well as her relationship with Sam), the plot twist and the change that hell caused in Dean.

Usually this is considered one of the best seasons of Supernatural, and I completely agree, but having seen the series with long time gaps I feel I'll be able to judge only at the end of the fifteenth if this (and the fifth) are actually the best seasons of Supernatural, at least for me.

- Carly 💚